Tag Archive | Devanampiyatissa

Also the five Great Elders: Ittiya, Uttiya, the Great Elder Bhaddasāla and the greatly intelligent Sambala, and Mahinda, these five, being without pollutants, attained Emancipation.

Also beginning with the Great Elder Ariṭṭha, greatly wise and skilful, after skilfully teaching many students in the Discipline, Doctrine and Abstract Doctrine, being expert in discrimination, together with innumerable thousands of monks who had destroyed the pollutants passed away.

After the King Devānampiyatissa’s passing, his younger brother, well-known as Uttiya, also born of King Muṭasīva, ruled righteously.

The Elder Mahinda was the Light of Laṅkā, a leader of a great crowd, who light up the Island of Laṅkā, who propogated the supreme Dispensation of the Victor consisting of proper study, practice and penetration. He who was like the Teacher, 1 benefitted many in the world in Laṅkā, with a virtuous crowd of wise monks in the Community, in the eighth victorious year of the King Uttiya, within the Rains Retreat, after he had dwelt sixty years near the Cetiya mountain, on the eighth day of the bright half of the month Assayuja, 2that passionless Elder, who increased the light, 3 attained Emancipation.

from the Extended Mahāvaṁsa, Chapter XIX. The Journey of the Great Bodhi Tree
ExtMhv 118-120 & 166-189 cf. Mhv 68-85

Nuns Worshipping(Mural at Wat Pho, Bangkok)

Near the Lord’s Great Bodhi Tree, through the wonder of being near the flag of the true Dhamma preached in the lovely words of the land of Laṅkā, Queen Anulā, with five hundred women and together with another five hundred women of the harem received the going-forth in the presence of the Elder Saṅghamittā, and those one thousand nuns, after developing insight, in no long time attained the state of Worthiness.

The Great Elder Saṅghamittā lived in the Nunnery known as the Lay-Womens’ Monastery together with her Community. She made there three dwelling places which were considered the foremost. 1

Like this:

from the Extended Mahāvaṁsa, XIX. The Journey of the Great Bodhi Tree
ExtMhv 38-51 = Mhv. 23-31

Receiving the Bodhi Tree(Mural at Wat Pho, Bangkok)

King Devānampiyatissa, who delighted in the benefit of the world, had heard from the novice Sumana about the day of the arrival of the Bodhi Tree, and from the first day that began the month of Maggasira he decorated the highway from the north gate as far as Jambukola with silver leaves of cloth strewn like sand that had been sprinkled all round on the highway.

From the day the King went out from the city he waited at the grounds of the reception-hall by the ocean, and there the Lord of the Earth, through the psychic power of the Great Elder Nun, saw the Great Bodhi Tree coming in the middle of the great ocean, decked out in all its splendour, and by the power of Mahinda, he drew as though close to it.

from the Extended Mahāvaṁsa, Chapter XV. The Acceptance of the Great Monastery
ExtMhv 1-32 cf. Mhv. 1-18

Mahinda and Arittha(Mural at Wat Pho, Bangkok)

In order to bring the Great Bodhi Tree and the Elder Nun, the Lord of the World, remembering the statement spoken by the Elder, on a certain day in the Rainy Season, while sitting in his own city near the Elder, consulted his ministers and urged his nephew, the minister called Ariṭṭha, to undertake these deeds.

After considering it and inviting him, he uttered this statement: “Dear, after going into the presence of King Dhammāsoka will you be able 1 to bring the Elder Nun Saṅghamittā and the Great Bodhi Tree here?”

from the Extended Mahāvaṁsa, Chapter XV. The Acceptance of the Great Monastery
ExtMhv 1-37b cf. Mhv. 1-26b

Queen Anula Listens to Dhamma(Mural at Wat Pho, Bangkok))

[The story now moves on around thirteen years. In the meantime King Asoka had seen to the reunification of the Saṅgha and the holding of the Third Council in which the teachings had been reconfirmed. Following this the leading monk at the Council had arranged to send missionaries to the border areas. The Arahat Mahinda had been sent to the Island of Laṅkā, where he had converted King Devānampiyatissa and many others. The story picks up as he continues with his teaching mission:]

“The elephant stall is crowded,” said those who had assembled there, and outside the southern gate, in the delightful Joy Grove, in the King’s garden, which was well-covered, cool and grassy, the people reverentially prepared seats for the Elders.